Regis Jesuit’s Mary Weinstein has the individual lead after the first day of the 5A girls golf state tournament. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — As much as the individual and team leaderboards shifted throughout the first day of the Class 5A girls golf state tournament at CommonGround Golf Course on Monday, there was one constant.
Regis Jesuit, the two-time defending state champions and winners of 4A in 2010 and 2012, took a firm grasp of the team race again as a pair of returning top-10 finishers — leader Mary Weinstein (1-under 71) and Jaclyn Murray (4-over 76, tied for 5th) — played well even in the most challenging of circumstances. Brooke Pulver finished in a tie for 16th for the Raiders with an 83.
With sustained winds of more than 15 miles per hour spanning several hours, along with an early-afternoon rainstorm, conditions weren’t ideal for long stretches of play. Nonetheless, Weinstein took advantage of an aspect of her game that was in tune Monday.
“My drives today were not the best,” she said. “I was kind of hooking the ball, but then I would hit my approach shot to like three feet and make the putt. I kind of relied on my approach shots. My putting wasn’t the best, but if I could hit it close enough and make the putt I was perfectly fine with that.”
After a couple of recent tournament struggles, Weinstein admitted nerves were in play before her final state tournament began.
“But after I teed off on the first hole, it just got going,” the senior, who finished in a tie for seventh last season, said. “You kind of get into a rhythm and then you just keep going. You try your best and that’s all you can give.”
In all, Weinstein posted five birdies, four of them during a back nine of 32 that follow a front nine of 39, to take the lead into the second round. The senior, eager to do her part for a Regis team after their fifth state championship in girls golf, was humble but confident after her impressive 71.
“This is my last year here, so the best I can do is just represent Regis the best that I can,” she said. “If that’s enough to win state, I’m happy with that. I’m going to go into tomorrow with the same mindset and hopefully my game is there again.”
As Regis gained separation in their title pursuit at 14-over, a healthy lead over Grandview (+22), Ralston Valley (+28) and Arvada West (+33), Weinstein did the same over Monarch’s Delaney Elliott (+3), Ralston Valley’s Jordan Remley (+3), and Grandview’s Morgan Sahm (+3).
Elliott, the Front Range League champion and top finisher on the day for a Monarch team that claimed the Northern Regional championship, tied for ninth at state a year ago.
Ralston Valley’s Jordan Remley. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
As for Remley, a dedication to her craft has allowed the Jeffco champion to flourish in 2016.
“I’ve only played golf for two-and-a-half years and what really helped me start the season well was summer tournaments and just being comfortable on the tee,” she said. “You just have to have confidence in yourself.”
The Ralston Valley junior had four birdies, but was undone by a triple bogey on No. 6 and a double bogey on No. 12. Still, Remley had a fine outing, setting herself up for a potential run on Tuesday.
“Today I had really good tee shots that put me in good position to be able to get on the green,” she said. “I think the weaker part of my game was putting. I had two three-putts. I think that had a lot to do with weather and rain, getting pelted in the face.”
Remley tied for 47th at the state tournament last season.
The Grandview Wolves also feature a pair of individual contenders. Senior Morgan Sahm is tied with Elliott and Remley for second, shooting a 39 and a 36, while freshman Amy Chitkoksoong sits are 4-over. Chitkoksoong had an an eagle on No. 18 to help her tie Regis’ Murray for fifth place at 76.
Amish Singh (Smoky Hill), Jennifer Hankins (Legacy), Joanna Kempton (Heritage) and Leigha Devine (Fossil Ridge) all shot 79 to place themselves in the top-10 after round one.
The 5A state tournament will resume at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. The lead groups are set to go off at 10:18 and 10:27 a.m.